Jake spent his days at the rink, teaching kids skating technique, running drills, coaching the next generation. It should have been fulfilling. It was his job now—his chosen career.
Instead, he felt like he was going through the motions.
"You're distracted," Emma said one afternoon. She was eight now, confident and direct in the way only eight-year-olds could be.
"I'm paying attention."
"No, you're thinking about Miss Lucy. My mom says you guys broke up."
"Your mom talks about my personal life?"
"Everyone talks about your personal life. It's a small town." Emma adjusted her helmet. "Are you sad?"
"Yeah. I'm sad."
"My mom says when you love someone, you should fight for them. That's what she did with my dad—he wanted to move to California for his job but she fought to keep him here. And now they're happy."
"That's good advice."
"So are you going to fight for Miss Lucy?"
Jake looked at this eight-year-old who somehow understood things better than he did.
"I don't know, Emma. Sometimes fighting means letting someone go."
"That's a dumb kind of fighting."
"Yeah. Maybe it is."
After practice, Marcus cornered Jake in the locker room.
"I booked you a flight to Paris."
"You what?"
"Flight leaves July second. Returns July tenth. I used my credit card points. Early birthday present."
"Marcus, I can't—"
"You can and you will. Lucy's program ends July fifteenth. Which means she's making her final decision soon. You need to be there."
"She needs space—"
"She's had space! She's had three months of space! Now she needs to see you. To remember what she's choosing between." Marcus crossed his arms. "Jake, I've watched you be miserable for three months. Moping around, coaching like a robot, pretending you're fine. You're not fine. And you won't be fine until you know for sure."
"Know what for sure?"
"Whether Lucy is choosing Paris or you. And she can't choose fairly if you're just an abstract concept. You need to be there. In person. Real."
"What if she still chooses Paris?"
"Then at least you tried. At least you didn't just give up."
Jake wanted to argue. Wanted to insist that giving Lucy space was the right thing to do. But deep down, he knew Marcus was right.
He'd been hiding. Telling himself he was being supportive when really he was just protecting himself from potential rejection.
"Okay," Jake said. "I'll go."
